V.A./Remi Kabaka: "Black Goddess"
Sound Way Rec. V.A. (/Remi Kabaka) : Black Goddess -LP/CD- (NI,1977,re.2011)****
Ola Balogun’s movie “Black Goddess” which was shot in Brazil featured Remi Kabaka who was one of the musicians who had played with Steve Winwood and Ginger Baker when they renewed themselves when delving into the roots of Nigerian creative forces. There has been a soundtrack record, which was published in Brazil and in Nigeria. Remi Kabaka led the music on keyboards and some African drums (on the last track). We also had Dele Okonkwo on tenor and soprano sax and percussion, B.D.Wright on keyboards, bass guitar and percussion and John Haastrup (from Mono Mono) on lead guitar and keyboards. The record really had that kind of jammed feeling which some movie scores from the 70s had as if musicians just improvised with some of the images of the movie. It is only because the musicians were so great that in the end these sessions still work fine and even succeed to create something special by having given enough time to develop their approach in their sessions.
Also, I must say that the sound of the electric keyboards is very special. Remi Kabaka gives it the time to develop itself always. On the first track, “Brothers & Sisters” the keyboards follow a more repetitive rhythm, like a melody loop on rhythm, mixed with an organically interwoven complexity of rhythms and guitars, like a groovy to a degree funky afro-rhythmic gigantic clock with its own rhythmic variations. The second track, “The Quest” starts with the sax this time, is equally based upon a rhythm. At some point the full bands plays into an afro-groove, where the keyboards again follow a melody-on-rhythm, the sax adding more improvisation into that area. The track this time falls a bit upon its repetition not knowing where to go to next, so the rhythms fall onto the minimum not playing too much any time this way. “Slave March” is led by keyboards, is slowly improvising without leading to something else, but it’s ok like a short intermezzo.
The title track starts with a slow keyboard improvisation until, on a certain inspired moment, another funky afro-styled theme appears, with sax themes over it, for which the band’s approach works like a successful repeating hypnotic and moody groove. “The Quest (piano solo)” improvises freely and brilliantly on the main theme with its electric piano, dancing around the theme, leaving it and coming back to it with open space and mind and the melody lingering inside the improvisation, showing harpsichord rich echoes of the machine. The last track is with African percussion instruments only. A rewarding session : a keeper.
